The present invention relates in general to a method for fabricating multi-layer wick structure of a heat pipe, and more particularly, to a method for fabricating a multi-layer wick structure to be easily inserted into a heat pipe and can be firmly attached to a tubular member of the heat pipe under a shrinking process.
The heat pipe has been applied in various types of electronic products for delivering large amount of heat without consuming significant power because of the characteristics of high thermal transmission capacity, high thermal transmission speed, high thermal conduction efficiency, light weight, none mobile element, simple structure and versatile applications. The conventional heat pipe includes a wick structure attached to an interior surface of a heat-pipe body. The wick structure includes weaving mesh that has capillary effect, such that a working fluid filled in the heat-pipe body can be used to deliver heat. To improve the capillary force and the amount of heat to be transferred by the wick structure, multi-layer structure has been adapted in the heat pipe.
FIG. 1 shows a conventional weaving mesh of a wick structure 1a which is curled into a multi-layer structure. When the curled wick structure 1a is inserted into the heat pipe body 2a, a sintering process is required to attach the curled wick structure 1a to the internal surface of the heat pipe body 2a. However, as the weaving mesh of the wick structure 1a is typically too soft to support itself. The multi-layer portion A formed by curling process makes the attachment worse. As there provides no additional support structure, the wick structure 1a is easily softened and collapsed due to the heat generated in the high-temperature sintering process.